Published: Sunday, January 27, 2013 at 10:49 AM.

Two Gaffney, S.C., firefighters are part of the 11 teams that will embark on a sprint around the globe for $1 million on the new season of “The Amazing Race,” according to a CBS Entertainment press release.

Matthew Davis, 25, and Daniel Moss, 24, are described in the CBS press release as “best friends/firefighters” from Gaffney.

The teams also include two hockey brothers from Raleigh, N.C., Bates Battaglia, 36, is a former professional hockey player. He played for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. Anthony Battaglia, 33, is a professional hockey player, who currently plays for the Huntsville (Ala.) Havoc.

The show premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 on CBS.

This season, which marks the 22nd race around the world for the series, will introduce a new twist to the game in which the first team to check in at the first pit stop will earn two “Express Passes” – one to keep for themselves and one that must be given to another team by the end of the fourth leg of the race.

Teams will travel more than 30,000 miles, over five continents and through nine countries as they skydive from 10,000 feet in Bora Bora, participate in a Shemozzle race in New Zealand, hunt for scorpions with the Bushmen of Botswana and scale the treacherous north face of the Eiger Mountain in Switzerland.

Two Gaffney, S.C., firefighters are part of the 11 teams that will embark on a sprint around the globe for $1 million on the new season of “The Amazing Race,” according to a CBS Entertainment press release.

Matthew Davis, 25, and Daniel Moss, 24, are described in the CBS press release as “best friends/firefighters” from Gaffney.

The teams also include two hockey brothers from Raleigh, N.C., Bates Battaglia, 36, is a former professional hockey player. He played for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. Anthony Battaglia, 33, is a professional hockey player, who currently plays for the Huntsville (Ala.) Havoc.

The show premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 on CBS.

This season, which marks the 22nd race around the world for the series, will introduce a new twist to the game in which the first team to check in at the first pit stop will earn two “Express Passes” – one to keep for themselves and one that must be given to another team by the end of the fourth leg of the race.

Teams will travel more than 30,000 miles, over five continents and through nine countries as they skydive from 10,000 feet in Bora Bora, participate in a Shemozzle race in New Zealand, hunt for scorpions with the Bushmen of Botswana and scale the treacherous north face of the Eiger Mountain in Switzerland.

This season's diverse cast includes twin brothers who are both OB/GYNs, father/son cancer survivors, Southern firefighters, roller derby moms and female country singers, according to the CBS press release.